


what spring does to the cherry trees

by favoriteghost



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: F/M, Female Protagonist, POV Second Person, Reader-Insert, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2019-03-03
Packaged: 2019-09-18 14:49:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16997049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/favoriteghost/pseuds/favoriteghost
Summary: He is the sunshine as you are gloom, and your opinion of him was barely nice at the best of times. Hobbling around in your battered body and with nowhere else to go, it seems he is the only one to give a single concern for you in the entire domain.





	1. the weak survive

It had taken all of ten seconds for your horse to throw you from his back, sending you toppling down a rocky hill and running off to leave you for dead. You were not certain how badly you were injured, but you were keenly aware of a ferocious ache whenever you took a breath, and a sharp stinging in your lower right leg. Judging from the ugly bruise that was quickly making itself apparent and the terrible pain, you were mostly certain it was broken. Never mind the arrow sticking out through your shoulder that had been snapped during your tumble down the hillside, which you were uncertain to remove or not lest you bleed out from a badly-placed hit.

You stared at the river you had landed next to, watching your small satchel of personal effects drift away in the current (because of _course_ your stupid horse would knock that off instead of some merchandise you didn’t care about). If it didn’t hurt, you would have started cursing the Goddess aloud for bringing this stroke of bad luck to you, but goodness knows any higher power would pay a measly mortal like you any piece of mind. It was anger that was keeping the fear at bay, because you knew whatever demon had shot you was going to be hunting for your body now. The stories people told of running into the demon hordes were absolutely terrifying, and you didn’t want to end up another nameless victim in them.

And so you shut your eyes and prayed, because that was the only thing you could think to do. The gentle rush of the current nearby helped soothe your thoughts, and you were thankful there were no octoroks nearby to pummel you to death with tiny boulders. That’d be a way to go, you thought, being battered into putty like that.

Over the gentle rush of the water nearby, you could hear the sound of footsteps in the grass high above you. A blessing you were Hylian with good hearing and not one of those round-eared humans, you thought, but you were in so much pain, moving would be improbable right now. But you had to. You could hear the snorting sound of a bokoblin up above, and you didn’t want to be its next meal.

Nearly biting through your tongue to hold back your pained noises, you struggled to drag yourself into the river water. It was your only way to get out of here swiftly and without detection. At the very least you could float along with the current. At the worst you would be pulled under and drowned, but that sounded more appealing than death by demon horde. It took what felt like an hour to haul yourself and your broken leg towards the river using your one good arm and leg and you rolled the rest of the way in, bobbing beneath the water for several moments. When your managed to align yourself through the pain so you could float on your back, taking a much-needed deep breath felt like it would make you pass out.

You don’t know how long you drifted along, fading in and out of reality, before delirium set in and all thoughts faded into nothing.

 

* * *

 

It was ironic that you had almost died in a river and yet, upon waking up, you were not just thirsty, you were absolutely parched. It was lucky there was someone nearby because as soon as you could, you gasped out the raspiest “water!” you could manage, and even you were a bit surprised at how bad your voice sounded.

You head hurt. Your ribs hurt. Your leg, your _everything_ was in extreme pain, and for the first time in years, you desperately wished your mother was alive and around to give you a giant hug and tell you everything would be fine.

It was only after you had quenched your dry throat that you were finally able to settle down and stop being difficult. Even if you would never admit to it, you knew you were difficult at the best of times when unwell, but being this broken up had probably turned you into an angry toddler.

Somehow, by some stroke of divine luck, your satchel had nearly clocked a Zora in the head while he had been swimming, and even luckier was that the Zora had actually been _concerned_ and looked for the owner. Perhaps it was repentance for having you knocked from your horse in the first place, but you thought that if the Goddess had ever smiled upon you, then the situation would never have happened from the start. Rotten luck was par for the course with you, though, so you simply tried not to think about all the pieces that fell into place to ensure you had survived. You were severely dehydrated and, judging from what you could discern from hearing some of the attending medical Zora, were potentially crippled in your leg for life. But you had your life still, and you supposed that had to count for something.

Three days after waking (you had learned you had been unconscious for two days after being brought to the Zora’s Domain), you had a surprise visitor.

“And to who do I owe the pleasure?” Even with medicinal herbs and elixirs, you were still in a pretty large amount of pain, and it made you snippy. You kept a hand wound delicately around your midsection from your spot where you sat leaned against several cushions, which helped keep you propped up.

The Zora who visited you was a tall one, with intensely red scales and sharp eyes the color of golden flax seed. Truth be told, you had never interacted with any Zora before, so you were probably extra gruff about the entire situation even more than you would have normally been, so for one of them to purposely visit you? It seemed odd.

“Ah!” The Zora looked not at all taken aback with your sharp question, either choosing to ignore the sarcastic bite to it or taking it at face value, you could not tell. “Pardon me for intruding! I am Prince Sidon, and I thought I’d welcome you to our domain.” He frowned down at you a little, though, adding, “Even if these are less than ideal circumstances.”

“You don’t say?” you said, eyebrow cocked at him. You were trying not to talk much, having to take shallow breaths to avoid hurting yourself too much. But then your brain registered he had said he was a _prince_ , and you cringed inside at your rudeness. “I’m… thank you for the visit.” You had to take a moment to breathe again before you provided your name to him.

You had also never interacted with anyone even remotely close to royalty before, so this was going to be awkward at best and an absolute disaster at worst. The Zora were still rather… well, racist against Hylians, and you didn’t want to be one of those people who made the group even more unfriendly towards your kind.

“It’s wonderful to meet you!” He beamed, and you stared for a long moment at the sharpness of his teeth. It was a little scary. Just a bit. You didn’t realize Zora would have such dangerous looking chompers, but you guessed it made sense since they… well, looked a lot like sea predators. “How is your recovery faring?”

Prince Sidon was already starting to get a touch on your nerves with his loud, upbeat personality. You preferred some amount of calm quiet in your life and you could feel annoyance beginning to bubble in your stomach. You had to quash it down with no small amount of willpower.

“It will be a few weeks before I’m fully healed.” The bandages wrapped tightly around your upper body suddenly never felt as constrictive as they did in that moment, and you gazed down at the cast put over your broken leg. Even the small scratches and cuts grazing over your entire body were suddenly seeming like huge gashes in your eyes. “I’m sorry for being a burden to your people.”

Because you were. No one deserved to be saddled with a stranger, no less one that those people were still wary of. The Zora who were staffed to help heal you were all distant and brisk in their interactions with you, and you knew it was because they were still uncertain of whether you were whatever bad stereotype they had conjured up of the average Hylian.

‘ _And you’re being an ungrateful brat_ ,’ your brain chimed in, unhelpful as always. You could probably try to be nicer, but the lack of concern by the medical staff and your own inability to function through pain was not adding into a pleasant personality on your part.

“Oh, you’re not a burden at all,” he said, looking a bit surprised you would think so. “What gave you that idea?”

“I’m not exactly being the ideal patient,” you said, wincing a little at memories of your attitude toward the staff. “I’m sorry for that. Really, I am.”

Prince Sidon let out another laugh. “I’ve heard! The medical staff told me you’ve been cross with them.”

That was putting it lightly and you were certain they had said far more than that.

“I get grumpy when I’m in pain,” you said, frowning. “I can’t help it.”

“Are the remedies not working?” he asked, leaning in a bit. He had taken a seat beside your rather modest and makeshift bed, since it seemed the medical facilities were not really intended for Hylians to use.

“Mostly,” you said, glancing away from him. You suddenly felt a touch self-conscious and decided to drag your sheet up around your bare shoulders. The Zora seemed not to have an idea of modesty for your race and you were sitting with only bandages covering your upper half. It hadn’t bothered you in the presence of the staff, but around a prince was a different story. “I’ll be fine.”

You didn’t look forward to a good month of being out of commission, though. Healing elixirs were fantastic, but they only did so much for deep, internal injuries such as the ones you had suffered. It would take time, and the pain would stick with you until you were healed, if not longer.

For a moment, you thought the prince would not believe you, and you could see in his eyes that he seemed to think as much, but then the cheer quickly went back to the forefront and he beamed at you.

“You Hylians are quite stout!” he said. Perhaps he knew you didn’t want to be viewed as some weak, helpless little thing and was honoring that much. “But if you are still feeling unwell, it may be best I take my leave.”

You were relieved at this, and offered a platitude, “You’re probably busy. It’s fine.”

Prince Sidon paused as he stood, looking down at you in thought. “You say that often.”

“What?” you turned your gaze back to him, confused.

“You say, ‘it’s fine’ very often,” he repeated. “But I don’t think you mean that at all.”

“With all due respect,” and you had to take a breathe here, wincing because the next sentence would take more air, “I feel that’s none of your business.”

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“Perhaps,” he conceded after a moment. “But I will make sure to visit again! It must be terribly lonely having no visitors, so I shall be your visitor!”

And his bright front was back in place, sweeping back the introspective moment from before.

“You really don’t-” you began.

“See you soon, friend!” he called as he strolled out.

“-need to.” Your voice met nothing but empty air. Was this going to become a thing? Was this really going to be a thing? You were going to actually keel over dead at this rate.

‘ _Well, shit._ ’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story is titled after one of my favorite poems, a piece called ‘Every Day You Play’ by Pablo Neruda. It will have little, if any, bearing on the plot, but I wanted something to encapsulate the concepts I wanted to put within this story. If you’ve never read it before, I highly recommend it because the imagery is fantastic.
> 
> I am an extremely slow updater and a very rusty writer plz forgive


	2. sightseeing was never part of your 'to do' list

“Hello, my Hylian friend!” Prince Sidon’s voice was loud and boisterous and you could have probably heard him shouting from across the domain if you focused hard enough. He strutted in with long steps, seeming as cheery as ever. Did he ever have a downer day? You weren’t sure.

“Good afternoon, your grace.” Each day your pain faded a little more (or, perhaps you were adjusting to life with constant pain), and your mood soured less. The prince’s bright attitude still made you a bit annoyed, however, so you found yourself in a daily struggle to remain curtly polite to him. It wasn’t that he was horrible to you, the opposite if you were honest, but his personality seemed so far from your own.

“How are you feeling today?” he asked, settling on a stool next to your bed.

“Better than yesterday,” you said, “and the day before that, and so on.”

It still hurt to breathe, but you had been laid in bed for a week since regaining consciousness, and it seemed far less horrible than when you had first been injured. Sentences of greater length were easier to form without feeling like death was knocking directly on your chest now. Fractured ribs were no joke, and you vowed to never get into a situation that could lead to them ever again.

“That is excellent news!” Prince Sidon beamed that huge grin of his, razor sharp teeth glinting in the light. It was still a bit of an unnerving sight, and you struggled not to stare. Those teeth were dangerous, how did they not bite their own tongues off? “Is something wrong?”

You snapped out of your stupor and shook your head a little. “No. Nothing’s wrong.” And you switched the topic. “Why do you seem even more energetic today than usual?”

“I’ve heard news from the staff,” he said, and he grinned so wide you thought you could see _all_ of his teeth. “You should be able to leave bed rest soon! Isn’t that excellent?”

You were a bit surprised no one had informed you, _the patient_ , of this, but the news did sound promising. “Really? Am I recovering that quickly?”

“I’m not sure, myself,” Prince Sidon said. “I’m not one for details, you know.”

Of course he wouldn’t be; he definitely wasn’t the type.

“I guess I’ll need a crutch?” you said, glancing down at the sheets covering your legs - more specifically, your broken leg. “Doubt I’d get far on this bum leg.”

And then you thought about how it would feel trying to breathe if you got winded, and suddenly leaving the bed didn’t sound like such a good idea. With your luck, you would trip and hurt yourself while trying to hobble about the place, and you did not want to be the laughingstock of a bunch of strangers.

“Nonsense!” he declared. “After all, I will be there to ensure you can get around.”

You snapped your gaze to him, staring like he had grown another tail from his head. “Excuse me?”

“I will help show you around!” he said, seeming almost overly proud of this. “Who else could be a better tour guide than I, the prince of the Zora?”

He seemed way too proud of his status, but you supposed that happened when you grew up in the shoes of a royal. He was still far over the top about it, in your own humble, peasant opinion.

“Are… what?” You were struggling to form a proper sentence to convey what your brain was racing around thinking. “Is… that appropriate?”

Was it normal for a prince to escort a commoner around? Was this pushing some weird social boundary? Would everyone think you were the uncouth one who pushed this on him?! You could already feel what a headache this was going to be. You would almost prefer if he left you to yourself so you could trip and make a fool of yourself before the public, which sounded suddenly far more preferable.

“Of course it is!” he said, laughing. “What kind of prince would I be if I did not assist the injured? And I do not think any of the staff would want to help you thanks to your moods this last week.”

You scowled a little at him for bringing that up. You were being much nicer now! Well… you would be if the staff stopped treating you so coldly. It was just a returning of the favor, you decided.

“I’m trying!” you were exasperated, slumping further down into the cushions behind you. “Goddess, why doesn’t anyone think I’m actually a nice person?”

“Well, I certainly think so,” the prince said. He still had that stupid grin on his face, obviously amused at your distress. “But you are prickly like a puffer fish, it’s no wonder the staff is wary of you.”

“Well excuse me,” you said. “Anyway, I don’t think I can go out like this.”

“Why is that?”

His question made you feel rather self-conscious all of a sudden, and you gazed down at your bandaged chest. It was the only thing stopping you from exposing your breasts to the world and it was… well, awkward.

“I don’t have any decent clothing.” Your satchel had a few clothes in it, but they were all old and improper for wearing in the company of a prince. “You don’t interact with Hylians much, do you?”

“Not really,” he said, and then it dawned on him. “Ah! Yes, you sort need layers of fabric to move around in. It seems rather inconvenient.”

“We like to be dressed for the weather,” you said, “as we do not travel by water.”

“I would think anything would be fine,” he said. “Your possessions were found too, were they not?”

You nodded. He simply looked pleased at this.

“Then whatever clothes are within are fine! Once you are given the okay to leave the bed, I shall give you a grand tour of the domain.” Prince Sidon was so sure of this and it was almost enough to convince you, but you still would have preferred not having to be escorted by him. He had to have better, more important things to do, right? You were just an injured merchant, surely not worth his time or energy.

But you slumped down in your bed, knowing already he would not give up, and with a sigh, you conceded, knowing that putting up any protest would just be a waste of breath at this point. “If you insist.”

His grin lit up the room, and you couldn’t help but return it with a small smile of your own.

 

* * *

 

You had insisted on bathing before being dragged off anywhere by Prince Sidon, and that had been a challenge in and of itself in ways you didn’t imagine were possible. Just dunking your head under the water for a moment gave you flashbacks to bobbing, in pain, down the river after you had been attacked. Zora’s Domain was absolutely covered in water. This was going to be a fun tour.

Getting dressed proved a challenge on its own; the long garter socks were no issue, as you could skip one, but struggling to get your broken leg through one half of your culottes was another task entirely. A brassiere? Out of the question, and you honestly felt the bandages did enough to provide support at the moment. It was in the midst of buttoning up your undershirt that Prince Sidon walked in with a boisterous greeting, and you almost had a heart attack from surprise since your back was turned to the entrance.

“I would appreciate a moment of privacy,” you said, not turning to look at him. Perhaps you were blushing a touch from a virtual stranger stepping foot into the room whilst you were in little more than your undermost clothes.

“Why?” Of course he wouldn’t know why you wanted it. You rolled your eyes and finished the final button on your blouse.

“It’s considered impolite to see a woman without her clothes fully on,” you said, grabbing your tunic from off the bed. You already knew moving your arms up above your head would prove a painful endeavor and you didn’t look forward to it at all.

“Oh!” You didn’t need to turn around to see the light going on over his head. “You Hylians are a strange people. I still think clothes seem to be nothing more than a hindrance.”

He reminded you of a kid sometimes. You grunted from the pain of stretching your arms over your head and through the tunic’s sleeves, popping your head out of the top and yanking the article down swiftly to cover yourself.

“Are you still in pain?” he asked, having not left.

‘ _Since you walked into the room_ ,’ is what you wanted to say, but instead you replied, without ever stopping your dressing process, “A bit. It’s fine.”

“I still think you do not mean that,” he said.

“Believe what you wish, your grace.” Your final step was to shove your good foot into a boot, which was oddly the least difficult task of all as you could simply draw your foot to rest on the other thigh. You grabbed the sturdy, makeshift crutch you had been provided, pushing yourself to stand. “Are we going now?”

If you were honest with yourself, getting ready had been strangely exhausting, and part of you wished to slide back into bed and go to sleep once more. It would be rude to do that, though, so you endeavored to power through the prince’s tour, even if would tug at every fiber of your patience.

 

* * *

 

In retrospect, you should have assumed that the domain would contain staircases in it. What place didn’t have stairs, or at the very least inclined walkways? Regardless of that, you were staring down at a lightly inclined flight of stairs, not feeling very pleased at the daunting process of descending them.

“Would it be possible to skip this?” you asked. “Just for now?”

“Unskippable,” Prince Sidon said, standing right by your side. You glanced over towards him, still feeling taken aback by the height he had on you. He had to be at least twice your height. Even though you were keenly aware of his towering stature from the times he had stood next to your bed, it was still a little jarring to be constantly reminded of it like this. “I promised a full tour!”

“Can it not wait until I’m a bit better?” Being bedridden for nearly two weeks had taken a toll on your body, regardless of how fit you had been before.

“I will keep you steady,” he said, confident. He took the first step down and stretched out his hand towards you, a smile on his face. “Trust me!”

You hesitated for a moment, your eyes locked onto his outstretched hand, following the path up his arm to look into his eyes, which were as warm as inviting as ever. Shifting your weight, you carefully tucked your crutch beneath your arm and reached out to him, your small hand settling within his large one, somewhat taken aback as his curled entirely around yours, easily covering it. For the briefest of moments, it flashed through your head that this is probably what being treated like a noblewoman felt like; the sort of thing you would have read in the old, trashy romance publications your mother had stowed away in a high cabinet, away from your young eyes.

It was a funny thought, you decided, but you brushed it away, because you were nothing but a merchant.

Prince Sidon kept his eyes locked on you as he assisted you with climbing the stairs, hand gripping tightly onto yours to ensure you would not slip and fall. You were starting to feel a little nervous about the whole thing, and not because you did not trust him - more, you could feel the stares from the other Zora on you, and could detect some of them whispering amongst themselves over the treatment you were receiving. Normally you were indifferent to this sort of thing, but when it felt so oddly _malicious_ , it was difficult to brush aside. You put all of your focus instead on the climb, working on being as confident as possible in your steps.

Sidon was practically glowing with an odd sort of pride by the time you reached the bottom, despite your status being considerably worse for wear than when you started. To think that just a couple of weeks worth of bed rest would have caused your physical health to deteriorate so much was almost incomprehensible, but you supposed the injuries you had sustained offered no benefit to whatever fitness you had built up over the years of traversing Hyrule.

Through haggard breaths, you managed to eke out a small smile up at him. “Guess I’m not as healthy as I thought I was.”

He grinned back down at you. “That was wonderful,” he said, making it sound like you had just hiked up a mountain.

 

* * *

 

At the very heart of the domain, displayed with prominence, was a tall statue depicting a Zora wielding a spear, poised gracefully atop the base pedestal, as if she was just rising from a falling strike with her weapon.

“It’s beautiful,” you said. Too focused on the statue, you didn’t notice the happy expression on Prince Sidon’s face.

“You think so?” he asked, and you nodded, turning to him finally.

“Who is she?” It was obvious this was someone important to the Zora, but you had not the faintest idea who.

“My elder sister, Mipha,” he said, turning his eyes to the statue again. You followed his gaze, scraping your brain for the name for the briefest of moments before it hit you.

“Oh…!” You had never paid much attention to the retellings of the history from a hundred years ago, if only because it felt so long ago, and what was done, was done, and this was the hand the land had been dealt, but the names of the Champions had been spoken of enough to be familiar. “She must’ve been very pretty, if this statue is anything to go by.”

“She had many suitors,” Prince Sidon laughed a little. “I was very young then, but I remember that.”

“Understandable,” you said, and then you thought over what he said for a moment. How old was he, exactly? You were fairly sure if you knew the answer it would probably make your head spin a little, even though you were not a young maiden by any means at this point in your life. You decided you were better off not knowing.

A moment of silence settled between the two of you, and you were unable to quite read whether it was awkward or not. It gave you a moment to take note of the sky above you, beginning to darken with the start of the evening. Prince Sidon seemed to also notice this soon after.

“I think it’s time to return you back to bed,” he said.

“Already?” you joked back, despite how tired you were already feeling. “I could go all night.”

“And is that why you lean so heavily on your crutch?” He laughed at the sight of you.

“Caught me in a lie, your grace” you said, wheezing out a slight laugh that caused your chest to ache. “The audacity.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you everyone for the kudos on the first chapter weeh
> 
> I'm trying to be Good and not posting chapters til the next is like halfway done but we'll see how much I can stick with that plan.


	3. some aches never vanish

“Your recovery is at the point you’re able to leave,” the Zora who had been overseeing your healing process stood taut at the side of your bed, looking almost relieved that this ordeal was over. You couldn’t blame the woman, especially after all the difficulties you had given her and her team.

“Even with a bum leg?” you asked. The Zora didn’t look amused.

“You’ll need time to recover, of course,” she clarified, “but you don’t need to be under supervision as long as you don’t agitate your injuries.”

‘ _In other words, I’m being kicked out._ ’ But you didn’t bother voicing this because, if you were honest, you had been feeling like a monumental burden upon the ones helping you heal up. Being able to leave would be a bit of a relief to everyone involved, but you still had to figure out where to stay as you continued to progress in your recovery. The trek out of the domain was bound to be dangerous, and you were in no condition to go dodging the monsters that wandered in the trails beyond.

“I’ll need a couple of days to arrange a place to stay,” you said. The Zora nodded.

“As you wish.” She turned and left the room. You felt a bit bad for never learning her name, but you supposed it didn’t matter now. Maybe when you were ready to leave you could drop a thank-you note off? You settled yourself back on your bed, pondering what you would do.

 

* * *

 

“I’ve heard the news!” Prince Sidon announced from his place, walking alongside you. “You can leave the healers now.”

It had been two days since you had been set off of bed rest, and already you were feeling much more like your old self. Overexertion still hurt, but walking was quickly becoming a much smoother affair.

“Yeah,” you nodded, pausing to lean against one of the railings that encompassed every platform in Zora’s Domain. You were still a bit iffy on walking and talking at the same time. “I’m not really sure where I’m going to stay while I finish recovering, though.”

It probably wasn’t really any of his business, but you were growing used to him being an ear you could talk at. He nevertheless seemed pleased you were being a bit more open in his presence, even if he could likely tell he was still a bit of an annoyance to you.

“There is an inn,” he said, “but it may not be the best for your healing.”

“The beds there? Definitely not,” you agreed. “Besides, it’s rather bold of you to assume I’ve any rupees left on me to afford a stay anywhere. I could probably afford a couple of nights at best…”

“Really?” Prince Sidon seemed curious all of a sudden. “Do you travelers not carry much money on you?”

You entertained the thought for a moment that he was kind of stupid, but had to take a moment to talk yourself out of that judgment. He was probably just a sheltered prince, right?

“No,” you said. “There are a lot of people out there who will try to rob you. It’s dangerous to carry too much of value.”

“I suppose that makes sense. It’s a wonder anyone is out there peddling valuables!”

“Money is a fantastic motivator,” you said, easing yourself back to standing on your own weight. This wasn’t a topic you were interested in discussing with him. “I think I’ve had enough walking today, if that’s okay.”

“Of course, my Hylian friend.” He gestured for you to start walking first, and you took the lead on the slow loop back around.

 

* * *

 

Frustration mounted as you jabbed the needle through the gaping hole in the knee of the pants you had been wearing the day of the attack. Another day had gone by and still you had not the faintest clue of where you were to stay in the upcoming weeks while you finished healing. Perhaps once your leg was fine, you could venture off, but that was at _least_ another two weeks of waiting, and you did not want to say in the healing ward longer than necessary, especially with the tension between you and the staff.

As your mind wandered, you managed to poke yourself rather fiercely in the finger, eliciting a sharp hiss of pain. You stared down at the blood beading up on your fingertip before shoving it into your mouth, frowning. You should have honestly been mending these clothes in the last few weeks, but you had been too complacent in the fact that you had the excuse of recovery to idle away your time.

“My, this is quite the atmosphere in here!” Prince Sidon’s voice boomed through the room as he entered and you winced, glad you hadn’t been in the middle of sewing lest you stab yourself straight through the finger from surprise.

“Can I help you, your grace?” you asked, staring down at your finger. The bleeding had stopped.

“What is with the gloomy air?” He once more settled next to your bed, staring curiously over the gathering of clothes draped all over your lap.

“I’ve not the faintest idea what you speak of,” you said, well aware of your own foul mood. You picked up the needle again, gently yanking the thread back into a tangle-free form. “Why are you here?”

“I think I’ve found a solution to your housing problem.”

“You think?” You pulled the needle through, frowning at your slow working speed. “And what is your solution, your highness?”

“You can stay with me!” If he seemed proud of his solution, it was lost on you because you proceeded to stab yourself in the same finger _again_.

“Excuse me?” Again, you shoved your finger into your mouth to suck the blood away. If Prince Sidon didn’t leave soon, you were going to be more filled with holes than a strainer.

“Is it not a brilliant idea?” he grinned. Your eyes once more fell to the sharpness of his gleaming teeth, and you had to break yourself out of your stupor to reply.

“Uh, I need a little clarification here,” you said, popping your finger out of your mouth to examine it once more. A bead of blood was already starting to well up and you could feel yourself getting riled up for what had to be no reason. “What do you mean, ‘stay with you’? And where does this entail me staying?”

“You see,” he began, leaning forward to regale you with his explanation, “we’ve had a spare room for the royal family of Hyrule prepared for ages! But, for obvious reasons, it’s gone disused. I think this is the perfect solution!”

It made sense, you had to concede, but you didn’t think yourself worthy of using chambers meant for the royal family! That had to be an extreme breech of station, right? Would the king of the Zora even allow something like that? You’d never even met him!

“Is that a good idea?” is what you said instead. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Prince Sidon seemed to see no fault in his idea. “The room has been empty for a century, surely no one would mind it being used.”

Because the royal family is one person away from extinction? Yeah, sure, that makes sense. But that meant sleeping in a bed someone of royal blood had slept in. That had to be bad karma or something, right? But then… you had very few other options, and perhaps it wouldn’t be that bad. You’d be out in just a few weeks at most, anyway, so there was no harm in borrowing it.

“I… okay.” You picked up your sewing supplies yet again to resume your work. “And when do you expect me to head there?”

“Today!” And then he reconsidered. “Well, whenever you are ready to move, that is.”

You closed your eyes in exasperation, feeling your patience with the prince fraying at the ends. “Okay. Tomorrow it is.”

You could have probably been ready by the end of the day, sure, but you refused to move anywhere near his pace.

 

* * *

 

Growing up, your childhood home had simply been a one-room building with rooms divided by sheets hanging from the ceiling, and it felt like barely enough space to function in. The room Prince Sidon had given you? It was probably half the size of that house! To say you were feeling a touch envious of the grandeur was an understatement.

“This is too much,” you said to him, watching as he casually set your raggedy looking bag of belongings on the floor next to the bed you would be sleeping on. “Um, is there anything less extravagant?”

“What do you mean?” He turned to you, looking puzzled. “Princess Zelda said it seemed humble.”

You didn’t even have it in you to comprehend that and instead limped your way over to the bed, where you promptly collapsed onto it, only mildly finding yourself surprised that it was a water bed (of course). Prince Sidon looked almost ready to say something on your reaction, but you waved a hand at him.

“It’s fine,” you said.

“Again, I do not think you mean that.” He was mostly right, but you were not about to confess that.

“Really, it’s fine. I’m fine.” Your reassurances were likely unnecessary since he seemed entirely unconvinced by you in the first place, so you opted to change the topic. “You said Princess Zelda stayed here before…?”

“Yes!” He took the switch with enthusiasm. “I believe it was when she came here to speak with my sister.”

You couldn’t help but wonder what type of person the princess was to brush off these sort of chambers as being humble, but from that alone your opinion of her wasn’t particularly high. Not like you would ever meet her, though - that was far above your station even beyond the stretches of what had happened a century ago.

“Well,” you began, adjusting to sit up straight, “if it’s good enough for a princess, then it’s more than good enough for me. I really must thank you for offering me a place to stay, your grace.”

“It is nothing!” His declaration had all the pomp and power behind it you were coming to expect from him. “I am merely happy to assist someone in distress.”

“I don’t know if I _quite_ qualify as someone in distress,” you said, because you certainly didn’t see yourself as one. Having him look down on your in such a way was almost a bit demeaning, and it upset you more than it should have. You composed yourself, closing your eyes and taking a moment to count to five before speaking once more. “I’m feeling a bit tired.”

It was partially true, though you mostly wanted to be left alone for a while. Dealing with Prince Sidon on a near-daily basis was a draining affair on your patience.

“Then I will take my leave,” he said. “Please, let me know if there is anything you need!”

With that, he shot you a giant grin and strutted out of the room. You stared at his back as he left, watching the door swing closed behind him. Once more, you fell back onto the bed, closing your eyes as it jiggled you around from the force. You made a promise to yourself in that moment.

 

* * *

 

Nearly a week after moving your stay into the palace (which, all things considered, was likely fairly tiny in order to fit within the domain), you were free of your cast. Although you were very happy about this, Prince Sidon seemed to radiate with absolute _thrill_ at this new development.

He proceeded to invite you out for daily walks.

“You’ve said very little of yourself,” he noted one day, strolling beside you. He still moved at a meandering pace, close to the speed from when you were still sporting an injury, but you assumed he did it to account for the new limp in your step.

“I could say the same of you,” you replied, gazing off at the bridge that led out of the domain. The mental map you kept of Hyrule was rather poor for areas you had never personally been, and you couldn’t help but wonder how long it would take you to reach a settlement or town on foot from the domain.

“Really?” Prince Sidon seemed a little taken aback by your response, then he laughed. “That is true! But I am rather curious why you washed up in a river.”

You wondered by he hadn’t asked you this much earlier, but decided responding wouldn’t cause any harm. “I’m a merchant. Some monsters attacked me, and my horse bucked me off in a panic.”

“A merchant?” His interest seemed piqued. “You must be well-traveled! How exciting.”

“I suppose,” you said, finally tearing your gaze from the distance. “I think I became too complacent on a familiar route, since I only travel a few.”

“I’m a bit jealous,” he said, “I’ve never been beyond the far reaches of the domain. It must be nice to have the freedom to wander about!”

The quiet, barely-noticeable sharp inhale you took didn’t seem to be noticed by him. The freedom to wander? You wished.

“I guess,” you said, trying not to let your emotions show through your voice. “Like I said, I didn’t travel that far around Hyrule.”

“Why is that?” Prince Sidon paused in his steps, and you wished he hadn’t. “What would make you limit yourself so?”

You sucked in a sharp breath. You didn’t want to remember why.

 

* * *

 

Never had you considered yourself one for taking anything for granted in life; this much, you were certain of. Yet, standing before the man who had employed your husband, still in your mourning clothes, you found yourself realizing that, perhaps, there had been things you’d never fully appreciated.

“This debt is _horrible_ ,” Eugene, a man who had a greasy face and a receding hairline, said, slapping his hand on the book he kept on his person at all times.

You were barely two days into mourning. You could not meet this man’s eyes, the weight of loss still heavy on your shoulders.

“Emil still owes me thousands of rupees,” Eugene said. “Thirty thousand, you realize, and as his widow, you are the heir to his debt.”

Your fingers gripped tightly at the tassels of your shawl, knuckles turning bone-white from the force. “You come to me but four days after news of his death and speak to me of this?”

“I funded his explorations into that castle for the treasures within,” he continued, ignoring your quiet accusation. “And he had the nerve to run off with some of the goods! All the lost profit is on his shoulders!”

‘ _Lies_ ,’ you thought, brow knitting together. He had never taken anything, you were sure of it - he was too noble, too steadfast in his values. It was the men he ventured there with who had the sticky fingers, the loose morals.

“Do you have any way to pay this off?” Eugene’s voice was harsh, demanding.

You had barely seen your twenty-first summer this last year. You were born with nothing but your name, and you still had little besides that to claim as your own.

“No,” you said, finally rising to meet his gaze. “What do you want from me?”

“You have two options,” he said, his eyes dark. “And I know you will certainly hate one of them.”

“Whoring myself?” you said, well aware of the workings this foul little man dealt in. “You can consider that off the table.”

“Then you will work for me elsewhere,” he said. “You are mine until this debt is paid off.”

You weren’t sure if you had it in you to be angry about the situation. You could run away, certainly, but Eugene had his hands in every populated nook of Hyrule. You’d never get away.

“So be it,” you said. Your heart ached. You missed your husband.

 

* * *

 

“I work for someone,” you began, leaning against a railing as you cast your eyes down to the water far below, rushing onward without regard to anything, “so he keeps track of where I am by the routes I am assigned.”

There was another layer hidden in your words; the hint of a reason why you would need to have tabs kept on you. Prince Sidon did not acknowledge this aloud, instead seeming to stew on the meaning underneath while you ruminated on your own pitiful situation: You were still three thousand rupees from paying off your late husband’s debt. Eugene was probably on the hunt for you, angry at the sudden disappearing act you had unwittingly pulled. You didn’t want to think of the consequences you would face when you left the domain, but contacting that man had been the very last thing on your list of priorities since arriving. Perhaps he would be lenient; you had, after all, been diligently working for him for eight years, now.

Prince Sidon seemed to sense the shift in your demeanor, suddenly looking for all the world like he was out of his element. “I… apologize for broaching such a sensitive subject.”

But he didn’t need to. It wasn’t his fault.

“It’s fine,” you said. There was no conviction in your voice for once. “You did nothing wrong.”

“I should not have butted in,” he said. You flicked your gaze to him, evaluating him for a moment.

“Really,” you said, “don’t worry about it.”

The past was the past and your present was your own doing. You would not push any of the fault of your situation onto him, regardless of what foul memories he brought to the surface.

“However,” you said, and you met his eyes, “I’d prefer you not ask of my situation in the future. Unless you’re prepared for me to fire questions back at you?”

But Prince Sidon only grinned, the moment easing back from the tension at your reply. “Why, I’m nothing if not an open book. You are free to ask me anything!”

He probably didn’t mean it, but you would hold him to that. It wasn’t as if he had much time to ask about your life story, anyway.

You would be gone in two weeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> surprisingly, I'm doing a decent job of keeping myself ahead on chapters. hopefully I can keep up the pace...!
> 
> this chapter was a bit of a fight and the flashback scene honestly felt a bit forced in there but I needed it like, now. so there it is.
> 
> p.s. you don't know the fight I had with myself to put 'out of his element' and not 'like a fish out of water'


	4. letter of intent

Once you had set your mind to it, finishing the repairs on the (salvageable) clothing was a quick task. It had been some time since you had honestly sat down to tackle any mending of your wardrobe, and (to your dismay) the habits and lessons ingrained in you by your mother were not enough to fix your crooked needlework. It was passable enough until you could find something to replace the ruined pieces.

Two days had passed since Prince Sidon had last invited you for a stroll, the one that dredged up unsavory memories. It was enough time to finish your mending, and for that you were grateful. The stillness of your room felt less so than the room you had previously been recovering in, perhaps in part due to the small, sunken bath with a constant flow of running water to soothe your nerves.

A knock upon your door in the early afternoon was only slightly unexpected, but no one else had any need to drop by. You were a visitor. You were nothing but a temporary thing within the confines of the domain.

“Come in,” you called, lounging at the window. It was not much of a sight until the sun was setting, if you were honest, but it was still nice to have something to look out upon. The passing of days had almost felt inconsequential, and being able to mark time’s movement seemed to stir within you a sense of purpose, and a letter addressed to your boss was carefully set nearby on the seat, freshly penned in the last few hours.

Prince Sidon stepped into the room, and to his credit, there was no awkwardness sticking from the last conversation the two of you had held.

“You seem to be doing much better,” he noted, eyes lingering on your form, perched carefully on the window seat. He still stayed close to the door, as if ready to make an exit at any moment.

“I do feel much better, thanks,” you said, turning to look at him. For the first time in a while, it was the greatest truth. Your leg now gave you a permanent, slight limp, but the pain was but a dull ache mostly left to your memory. Breathing? Why, it was as natural again as the day you were brought into this world. You noted his staring, the somewhat far-off look in his eyes, and your brow creased. “Is something wrong?”

Whatever it was, he seemed to snap out of it at your question. He responded almost too hastily, “No, nothing!” and you brushed it off as him probably looking at you the same way you sometimes stared at his teeth.

“May I ask why you’re visiting today, your grace?” Your eyes drifted down to the letter at your feet. You wondered if it would be asking too much to have Prince Sidon see it delivered.

“Do I need a reason to visit a friend?” he asked in return. You still had no idea why he had rushed into the idea that you were his friend, but you didn’t bother to correct him that acquaintances was probably the most accurate term at this point.

“I suppose not,” you said, and you only ruminated for a moment before deciding to ask him about the letter. “Do… you think you could see this is delivered?”

He stared for a moment at the letter in your hand, a simple piece of paper artfully folded and sealed together with a name and location scrawled on the front. “Oh? You wish to contact someone?”

“My boss,” you said. Prince Sidon grabbed the letter from your hand and you noted how woefully tiny it was in his compared to yours. “I should’ve sent a message sooner but… well, better late than never.”

“Then I will see it delivered safely!” He grinned brightly. “It will reach him in no time!”

“Thank you,” you said, flashing him the slightest of smiles. “I appreciate it.”

 

* * *

 

 

The map of Hyrule you carried had been absolutely soaked thanks to a certain dip in the water, but you were thankful the paper it was made from seemed a bit resistant to the effects of water damage. It was warped for sure, but the paper had not stiffened up much from the ordeal.

With the map unfolded before you, you set your finger on the spot for Zora’s Domain, tracing along the bridge that led out, mapping a route back to where you belonged. As if you belonged anywhere, really, but you had business to settle before you could think about that. You were a bit baffled how you had washed up so far from the Woodland Stable, even more puzzled how you hadn’t wound up in the Lanayru Wetlands, and pretty sure that the journey back on track would be absolutely brutal. The more you thought over it, the more daunting it seemed, especially on foot.

‘ _Maybe I can just stay here forever_ ,’ you thought, but it was a fleeting idea. You had to go back out into the world, and relying on the generosity of anyone was out of the question. The prospect was even more unlikely thanks to having your letter sent out, knowing it would arrive before you would ever make it to the nearest stable.

The path out looked winding, and you were quite certain it would not be an easy trek even without your new limp. Perhaps you should have asked for an escort to bring you out in your letter, but that seemed like such a far-fetched idea that flying bokoblins would happen before that. You weren’t worth that much to Eugene.

As you folded your map back up and stowed it in your bag, there was a knock on your door, and you called for them to enter. Of course it was Prince Sidon, but you didn’t raise your head to acknowledge him since he entered with his typical loud gusto.

“Come to ask for another walk?” you asked, though it sounded more like a confirmation.

“You’re catching on!” he said, grinning.

“I’d think you would be tired of walking with me by now,” you joked. “I don’t think I’m that pleasant of company.”

“Nonsense! You make for excellent company when you aren’t scowling.” Did this guy even know what he was saying sometimes? You rolled your eyes.

“No one’s ever taught you how to speak with a woman, have they?”

“What?”

He definitely didn’t know what he was saying. It was almost endearing. _Almost_. You shook your head at him sympathetically. Perhaps the problem lay in him becoming too familiar with you?

“Well,” you said, deciding to start shifting the topic, “I feel like I have some things to take care of today.”

“Another letter, maybe?” But you only laughed almost bitterly at that.

“My boss is the only one who cares where I am,” you said. “Even then, I doubt he cares _that_ much.”

Prince Sidon looked a bit taken aback by this. “You… really have no one else?”

Ah. You really had let him become too familiar to you. You didn’t want to let something like that slip.

“It’s fine,” you said, and before he could retort with the usual reply, you shot him a look. “Don’t say it!”

And, you swore this on the grave of your dearest mother, he _pouted_ , and it almost made you laugh at him because it was such an odd sight.

“It’s really fine,” you repeated, voice a little softer. “I’m used to it, really.”

“I still think you don’t mean that,” he said, voice also a touch quieter than usual.

You only shot him a small smile. “Believe what you want, your grace.”

It wasn’t your job to convince him.

“How about that walk?” you asked. “I’ve been in here all day. I think I could go for stretching my legs.”

This tactic seemed to work. Prince Sidon immediately perked up.

 

* * *

 

“What is the journey like beyond the bridge?” It was one of the few questions you had asked on the many walks around the domain. It wasn’t as if you didn’t have any - it was more that there didn’t seem much to ask about.

Prince Sidon seemed a little surprised by the choice in question, but he still answered. “It is dangerous. More monsters have taken posts along the route than ever before.”

It was as you expected. All of Hyrule was beginning to feel the ripples spreading out from the rumored news of a supposed champion rising to fend off the influence of the great calamity. It seemed the evil that had brought this plague upon the lands was just as aware, and everything felt more dangerous for it.

“Do you want to leave?” His question was not one from left field, and you could almost sense it before he even laid voice to it.

“What I want is irrelevant,” you said. “I have to go. I have things I need to do.”

And then you looked at him, and perhaps it was something in his eyes or the closeness of his person to yours, but you felt for a second that you wanted to spill your thoughts to him. You almost did, because you had never told anyone before, and what harm would come from saying it to someone you’d never see again? But the impulse withered away as quickly as it had bloomed in your chest.

So instead you took a breath.

“You understand having responsibilities to juggle. I need to go back to dealing with mine.”

“You said before that you had no one else?” he asked. “What responsibilities do you have then, if not to those close to you?”

“I do have a job, you know,” you said, trying to be light-hearted about the matter. “I can’t slack off on that forever.”

“That is only one responsibility.”

“Don’t get smart with me!” You had half a mind to punch him in the arm if he wasn’t so damn tall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is kind of filler I guess but I PROMISE fun times next chapter.
> 
> by fun times I mean some suffering.
> 
> the next chapter will likely be delayed since it is patch week in ffxiv and I'm gonna DIE. thank you.


	5. can't keep hanging on to what is dead and gone

The days slipped by peacefully. This entire ordeal, sans the whole ‘nearly dying’ thing, had almost felt like a blissful vacation away from the daily stresses of always traveling to peddle wares you had little interest in.

For the first time, there was someone at your door who was not Prince Sidon. You were a touch surprised it was one of the guards.

“Yes?” you asked after an awkward silence.

“You have a visitor,” the guard said. His was another name you would never learn, and he left an unvoiced question in the air: _what should I do with them?_

“Did you get a name?” you asked, though you had a sinking suspicion you already knew who it could be.

“A man named… Eugene, I believe, ma’am.”

You almost wanted to scream.

“Send him here, if it would not be much hassle.”

The guard nodded. You closed the door, feeling your anxiety spike, taking a moment to focus on breathing. The moment spanned into minutes, and by the time you regained your composure, there was another knock on the door. Steeling yourself, you opened it and stared into the eyes of your boss. For all the preparation you took for this, you still wished to sink into the floor and vanish forever at the sight of him.

“Eugene,” you greeted, stepping aside. “Please, come in.”

He strutted into the room with the same airs about him he always carried, eyes scanning the area with obvious intent to silently judge the decor. You shut the door quietly behind him, and with some amount of self-pity noticed your hands were trembling just slightly. For all the years of service under him, all of the meetings, you were still nothing but a wreck before his presence.

“It seems you’ve cozied up well here,” he said after a moment, pausing at one of the open panes that served as a window. He peered out, leaning forward to take in the scenery. “I would’ve thought you’d still be in recovery, but you seem well enough.”

“I didn’t expect you to pay a personal visit,” you said, folding your arms front of you to hide your shaking hands. “To what do I owe the honor?”

“Make no mistake, girl,” he said, straightening to turn and face you. “I didn’t come to drag you back with me. I’d almost written you off as a loss, but it’s no skin off my back if you were dead.”

You tensed, fighting a scowl. “Let me wager a guess, then. You’re here to try and start dealing in business with the Zora?”

Eugene laughed. “How intuitive! Indeed, that is my reason.”

“I wasn’t raised a fool. I know well enough how you operate.”

He shrugged. “Business is business. This is a prime opportunity to gain some favor… assuming you’ve not mucked anything up.”

“’Mucked anything up’?” Your voice hitched up a little, incredulous at the thought. “How the hell could I do that?! What do you think I’ve been doing this entire time?”

“Just look at this room. Why don’t you tell me what you’ve been up to?”

Again, you inhaled sharply, and you had to bury your face in your hands to try and prevent yourself from screaming. You knew full well what he was implying and it made you want to hurl a rock at his head.

“You can banish whatever you’re thinking from your mind _right now_ ,” you snapped, rubbing your fingers against your temples. You weren’t sure if a headache was coming on or if Eugene was the headache. “I do not just sleep around for favors!”

Putting it into words made your skin crawl. He’d always held a low opinion of you, and had often times suggested you slip into his alternative offer for paying off the debt, but for him to openly imply you were engaging in such acts? It was frustrating, to say the least.

“You should prepare whatever things you need,” he said. “I will be sending you back ahead of myself.”

“What?” Who did he think he was? His sharp glance in your direction caused you to cower back a little, and you snapped your mouth shut obediently.

“You heard me, and you should feel honored I’ve brought an extra hand to escort you back.” Eugene walked forward, directly towards you, and you found yourself inching back. He was still as intimidating as the day you first met him and you wanted him far away from your space.

“Why…” Your voice cracked and you had to clear your throat to make it work again, “why go through the trouble? I’m worthless to you.”

“I’d think it terribly rude of me to let an injured woman make her way home alone,” he said. “What would the Zora think of that?”

And it all clicked into place with that sentence. He was using you as much as he ever had.

“You’re terrible,” you said, voice a whisper. “Get out. Out of my sight.”

You couldn’t deal with him right now.

“As you wish.” Eugene paused in your doorway, glancing back - but not at you, and instead at the room. “You leave tomorrow in the morning. Be grateful I’m giving you this much time to enjoy this excess.”

As soon as the door closed, it felt like you were finally able to breathe again. You sank down onto the floor, curling in on yourself to try and reign in your emotions.

 

* * *

 

 

Your fingers fumbled around in the small purse you always kept on your person, scrabbling to find one of your last valued possessions. The shaking in your hands seemed to cease as your fingers touched upon cool metal, drawing out the object you sought. The gold ring glimmered in the light pouring in from the windows. You closed your eyes and pressed a kiss against it, feeling your heart ease just a touch.

“Emil,” you murmured, eyes closed as you kept the ring tightly within your grasp, “how did you put up with such a foul person? How can I be strong like you?”

Your wedding band offered no reply. You stared down at it, remembering the day your late husband had presented it to you. It felt like it had all happened in another lifetime, and the thought saddened you. Those days were long gone.

“I’m so close to paying off your debt,” you spoke once more to the ring. “I can be free again, and you can rest easy. I hope you’re proud of me. I’m trying so hard.”

You tried to imagine how he would react to this, but you couldn’t even recall the sound of his voice. It had been years since you had last heard his voice, since he had last called your name, since you had last heard his bright, echoing laughter. Your heart ached deeply at the thought, a sort of pain you knew would likely never leave you. It hurt worse than the fractured ribs, your broken leg, the arrow through your shoulder.

Once more you curled in upon yourself, ring clutched tight to your body as you fought back the tears. Every time you saw Eugene it caused this ache within you, one that took days to leave. He was your reminder of what had happened to Emil.

You did not hear the knock on your door, nor did you hear it open. What you did hear was a gentle call of your name.

“Please leave,” you begged. You didn’t care who it was, all you wanted was to be alone to fight the swelling tide of emotions. “Please. Go.”

Prince Sidon did not leave.

“What is wrong?” His voice was surprisingly gentle, and if you weren’t ready to start crying it would have been a marvel to hear. Still, you did not reply, instead just shaking your head, refusing to look up. “I will not leave until I can help you.”

You took one, two, three breaths, “I don’t need help.”

Eight years you had dealt with this. Eight years of being the sole means of comfort in your own life, of no one to support you during these breakdowns. You could do this, it only required time to pass. He just needed to leave.

“I don’t think you mean that,” he said, kneeling down beside you. “Let me help.”

“You can help by leaving.”

“No, I don’t think that’s the solution at all,” he said. “Perhaps you’d feel better telling me what’s causing you to be so distressed?”

The feeling from before hit you again. You felt too weak to resist it, even though you wanted to ignore it.

Your voice broke, and you felt a fresh swell of tears in your eyes. “Where would I even start?”

Prince Sidon settled down to sit on the floor next to you. “Why not from the beginning?”

“Why do you care?” You finally looked up at him, trying desperately to find any reason to not spill your heart out. “I’m leaving tomorrow. How cruel is that to burden you with my problems?”

“Tomorrow?” he said, surprised. “So sudden!”

“He’s making me.” And even though you were intending to leave in mere days anyway, you didn’t like just running out on someone who had helped you so much. “You think I have a choice?”

He frowned, obviously trying to make sense of the situation. “The man who arrived today… is your boss, then?”

You nodded. Some form of realization seemed to dawn upon Prince Sidon.

“Ah, you don’t like him!” But then he paused in his realization, and his voice once again went soft. “Why is that? You can confide in me, friend.”

Squeezing your hand tighter around the small ring, you decided on what to do. You stretched your hand out towards him, a touch hesitant, and opened it to reveal the gold band.

“Do you know what this is?” you asked, because you were certain whatever Zoras did to propose was nothing like how Hylians did it.

“It’s a ring!”

“A wedding ring,” you clarified. “I used to be married.”

“You were married?” Sidon seemed genuinely surprised at this. “I never would have thought.”

“It was a long time ago,” you said. “He… my husband, he worked for Eugene. He used to go into Hyrule Castle to bring back valuables. And, you know, it wasn’t that dangerous back then like it is now, right?”

When you looked at Sidon, you could practically see some of the pieces snap into place in his head.

“So one day he goes in with his little group, but there’s a new guy there. Get this, he was like… barely fifteen. And on the way out the kid… a guardian spotted him. Emil - my husband - he…” And your voice broke once again. You pulled your hand back close to you and curled in on yourself, fighting the swelling emotions. “He shoved that kid out of the way. He saved him, but he…”

Sidon shuffled closer to you, tentative as he stretched an arm out to gently - delicately - wrap it around your back. You tensed slightly but didn’t push him away.

“Take your time,” he said. “I will be here.”

The comforting weight of his arm around you slowly helped bring you back. One, two, three deep breaths, and you began to speak once more. That was the worst your story would get. You could do this, you thought to yourself.

“Eugene said my husband was stealing goods and sacked me with the debt after he died. I’ve been working to pay it off for nearly a decade.”

Sidon stewed on this information, and it was a moment before he said anything. “How much do you owe?”

Your gaze shot over to him. “Excuse me?”

“How much is the debt?”

You narrowed your eyes at him. “You won’t. Don’t even think of it.”

“My friend, it would be remiss of me to not help you in your time of need.”

It felt like your heart was going to leap out of your throat. Your voice cracked when you spoke, “Why?”

Sidon merely grinned his trademark grin, teeth glinting brightly in the fading light of the room. “Do you even need to ask?”

You didn’t realize you were crying until you could feel snot threatening to drip out of your nose. Throwing yourself at Sidon, you bawled into his chest, the noisiest cry you had experienced in years. For the first time in what seemed like a lifetime, it felt like you were no longer carrying a heavy weight on your shoulders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title is shamelessly stolen from the song 'myth' by beach house thanks
> 
> i edited this at like midnight while dying of tiredness please forgive any errors :') also thank u... everyone... for the love for this!! i love y'all <3


	6. call on you

If you had expected to sleep deeply through the night thanks to your emotional evening - and it was reasonable to do so, all things considered - your hopes were ruined when you found your eyes drifting open to greet the darkness of night. Unable and unwilling to care what time it was, you knew upon regaining your senses that getting any more shut eye would be impossible now. So you heaved yourself from the bed, dragged on your shoes (because really, who had the energy to undress after crying all day?), and limped your way out of the room into fresh air.

The moon looked close to peaking in the sky. Not too late, then, but too early to do anything remotely productive. A restlessness itched deep in your bones, and the only thing you could think of to calm it was a brisk walk around in the cool night air. Compared to how occupied the domain was during the day, the night made the place feel calm in a way that reminded you of a snow-covered field. The few souls still awake mostly consisted of the guard, and they paid you little to no attention as you passed.

Descending down the stairs, your eyes caught onto the prominent statue of Mipha, and almost too late upon the bright red sheen of a familiar figure. Your eyes locked onto Sidon, where he stood gazing almost reverently at the statue of his long-departed sibling. If you focused hard enough, you could see his mouth moving, and if you had been someone else who had lived an entirely different life, perhaps you would have thought it odd. Being who you were though, you understood immediately what he was doing, and you felt a pang within your chest. How often had you spoken to your husband’s possessions in the days that had drifted by after he had been ripped from you? Even today you had spoken to him softly, and you felt a sudden kinship with Sidon that had not been there before.

Not wanting to interrupt, you turned to try and sneak you way back out of sight. Your luck, never being particularly in your favor, meant he caught sight of you as you were making your way back up. When he called out to you, you turned around to limp down the stairs, meeting him part of the way down.

“Couldn’t sleep, my friend?” he asked. He didn’t look at all tired.

“You could say that,” you replied. “It was a nice rest until I woke up.”

He laughed at the disappointed tone in your voice. “I’ve always found it nice to take a relaxing swim when I cannot sleep.”

You stared at him, a bit bewildered. “I… don’t think that will work for me.”

“Why not?” He was hopelessly oblivious on this, and you could not fault him for it.

“I, well, it’s…” you tried to find the words. You thought, for the most part, you had been doing well around the water everywhere here, but going in the water? That was an entirely different story, and you could feel your pulse quicken at the thought. You instead decided to pose a question to him. “You recall I was found drifting in a river, right?”

“Of course,” he nodded.

“Ever since then, I haven’t really been… comfortable, I guess is the word, with actually going into water that isn’t shallow.”

“Oh!” Sidon looked at you with a measure of sympathy in his eyes. “That is a problem.”

“Just a bit.”

“But!” and he leaned forward, looking far too excited for your tastes, “I think I’ve got a solution!”

The gleam in his eyes made you weary. Maybe getting out of bed had been a bad idea? You leaned back a bit, nervous. “What is your plan?”

“You will swim with me, of course.” The grin on his face caused his teeth to glint even in the dim moonlight. How did that happen? You didn’t really wish to know. “No harm will come to you while I’m there.”

“Isn’t that kind of sudden?” you asked. “I don’t think I’m ready. That’s too much at once.”

Despite your apprehension, he seemed unphased. “Do you trust me?”

“Wha…”

“Do you trust me?” he repeated, slightly more gentle. You stared up at him, eyes wide.

Did you?

“Yes.”

 

* * *

 

East Reservoir Lake’s waters were calm, and you could see the moon’s reflection in near-perfect clarity upon the surface. It was a picturesque, serene sight, yet you still could not find it in yourself to approach the edge where walkway met water.

“I’m really not comfortable,” you said. You thought how it must sound silly to Sidon to be afraid of water; Zora were probably incapable of feeling fear about swimming in anything.

Sidon stretched out his hand for you to take, smiling at you as he spoke, “I promise to keep you safe.”

Hesitating, you glanced out at the stretch of water before you, then back towards his hand. You reached out and set your own small one within his, and he looked pleased as punch at this as he led you onto the long dock. He moved at a slow pace to accommodate your own reluctance, leading the way with utmost patience to ensure you were not too far out of your comfort zone. He stopped at the end, not letting go of your hand as he took a moment to evaluate your state.

“This isn’t so terrible, is it?” he asked.

With your hand safely locked within his, you couldn’t say it felt as bad as you had thought. You nodded in agreement, realizing your heart was only fluttering a little from anxiety.

“I’ll go in first,” Sidon said. It took him a moment longer than necessary to release your hand, and he lingered on the dock for a moment before he gracefully dove in. You had to admit, it was a sight to see for yourself. Peering into the water, it only took a moment for him to resurface, water glistening against the bright red of his skin.

“I hope you don’t expect me to go full in like that,” you said, clutching your hands close to your chest anxiously. To his credit, Sidon didn’t laugh at your hesitance, but he did eke out a grin.

“Perhaps you should try putting your feet in first,” he suggested. “The water is a bit cool.”

“Nothing can grab me in there, right?” you said, then added, “… besides you, and if you do you will regret it through several lifetimes.”

This time he did laugh, and you were certain if he was on land he would have been doubled over.

“I would never!” he said. “A prince would never break the trust of his people.”

You didn’t point out you weren’t one of ‘his people.’

Sitting down, you yanked off your boots and tucked your stockings into them after, setting them safely to the side. You scooted forward until you were toward the edge, legs curled up close to you. Sidon still bobbed in the water before you, patiently waiting for you to heed his suggestion. You shot another warning look at him before slowly dipping the toes of one foot in. A shudder shot up your leg and rippled through your spine. The water was chilly, as he had said, but it was still a shock to feel.

“I warned you,” he said, grinning.

“Warning doesn’t help!” you shot back, voice lacking the usual venom. Brows knitting together, you slowly submerged both your feet into the water, continuing to inch forward until your legs were submerged up to the calves. Slowly, you began to adjust to the water’s temperature.

“Not so bad, is it, my friend?” Sidon looked pleased with himself.

“Yeah, I suppose,” you replied. “It’s… actually kind of nice.”

“You’ll be swimming in no time,” he said.

“I wouldn’t be too sure of that,” you said, a half-smile on your face. “I’m still not keen on going all in.”

“There’s nothing to worry about. I am here, after all.” Even with a reassurance like that, you could not say you have even seen him swim yet besides now. A part of you could see him as being a reckless swimmer, though what that entailed you hadn’t the faintest idea.

“I really didn’t come dressed for swimming,” you joked, looking down at your clothes. You didn’t think diving in with everything on would be nice once you had to get out. You could always strip down to your smallclothes, but that would be inappropriate… though it wasn’t as if he hadn’t see you nearly nude before when you were recovering.

“Clothes seem bothersome,” Sidon agreed. “I don’t understand it at all.”

“They aren’t so bad.”

“You should remove them to swim,” he said. You nearly choked on your own spit.

“That’s inappropriate,” you said after regaining your composure.

You were not sure if it was a play of the light or not, but you could have sworn there was a devious glint in his eyes. “I’ve already seen you without before. And I think I’m not wrong about it being easier without clothing.”

You weren’t going to admit he was right on both fronts. “I think it might be a bit cold for me to swim.”

His arm swept out of the water to point behind you, and you twisted around to look where he was gesturing. You weren’t sure how you missed it while passing by, but there was an awning covering a small rest area behind you and it looked as if it contained a meager setting of supplies for anyone who dared to swim in the lake.

“There are cloth wraps there,” he said, “for when you get out of the water.”

“You seem eager for me to hop in,” you remarked, turning back to face Sidon. “Or am I mistaken?”

“The sooner you try, the sooner it will be over.”

As much as you didn’t want to say he was right… he was right. “You promise to stay nearby?”

“Of course! As prince of the Zora, I always keep my word.” He had never given you reason to doubt him before. You stared down at your tunic and, hesitating only a moment, decided there was no reason to be a prude about it; he had already seen you in naught but bandages.

The air was cool on your bare skin and you shivered as goosebumps covered your body, your culottes and brassiere doing little to fend off the chill. You folded your tunic and undershirt, setting them carefully next to your boots. With little else barring you from entry, you took a deep breaths and carefully pushed yourself into the water, holding onto the dock with one hand to keep yourself oriented. Your head bobbed underwater for a painfully long moment that brought you back to rolling into the river, but a hand on your back helped guide you back to the surface.

“That wasn’t so bad, right?” You weren’t sure when Sidon had moved himself beside you, but you were grateful for his presence.

You had to blink the water out of your eyes before you could answer. “I’ve had worse.”

He simply laughed at your reply. “Are you ready to swim out? I will stay right with you.”

You stared from him to the water further out, then back. You weren’t sure if you were ready to leave your little safety net, but he had kept his promise so far of staying beside you. “Do I have to swim?”

“Well… you could always ride upon my back.” Once again you almost choked on your spit.

“Excuse me?”

He only laughed at your reaction, reaching out to take your hand from its deathly grip on the dock and into his own. “So? Are you prepared?”

“Why do I feel like you won’t let me go until I agree?”

“Because I have the utmost faith you can do this!”

“Then… I guess I’m set.” It really wasn’t as frightening as you thought it would be. With the calm waters and Sidon’s reassuring presence encouraging you on, you found yourself being guided farther into the center of the lake. Sidon swam backwards, holding one of your hands within his and allowing you to partially push through the water yourself.

When the two of you stopped, you looked up, somewhat winded, to take in the sight of the skies overhead. The moon had dipped noticeably lower in the sky, and you wondered how long the two of you had spent together. Sunrise wouldn’t be long, and you were starting to feel tired.

“I knew you could do it,” Sidon said, sounding as proud as if it were his own accomplishment.

You glanced back at the dock. It wouldn’t take long to reach, but exhaustion was beginning to cling to your bones. Still, you felt proud of yourself and grateful for Sidon’s help. “Thank you for seeing me out this far but… I think we should go back.”

He quirked his head to the side. It was cute. “Why?”

“I’m tired.” At this, he too looked up at the sky, and you saw the realization dawn on his face at how much time had passed.

“We should head back!” he said. You almost laughed at the urgency in his voice.

 

* * *

 

You didn’t want to know why a bed of all things was part of the setup beneath the awning near the lake, but you weren’t going to question it since it provided a soft place to relax while you warmed up under several layers of soft cloth. Sidon seemed unphased by the chill from being soaked in the night air, but you assumed it was due to being a Zora.

The sky was starting to light up with the beginnings of a new day. The view didn’t afford one to see the sun creep over the horizon, but you cared little - all you really wanted to do was curl up beneath the blankets in your room and sleep.

“This was nice,” you said. Sidon beamed from his spot nearby.

“It truly was!” he agreed. “Although I think we may have stayed out a touch too late.”

“Too late or too early?” you joked. “Technically we’re the first ones awake, right?”

His laughter was immediate. “A marvelous way of thinking, my friend!”

As you pulled your clothes back on, you tried to ignore the fact that it felt like Sidon was staring. When you glanced his way, you caught a hasty half-turn of his head to look away from you. It was curious and you didn’t want to entertain any wild thoughts this brought to your mind. Once your last boot was fully laced up, you declared your readiness to depart.

Sidon offered you his hand to guide you back. You accepted without any hesitation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was listening to [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXqWDtBER9Q) on repeat while typing this chapter (hence the title, I'm very original thanks)... it is good. again, forgive any errors because I'm a fool who edits late at night when I should be sleeping :')


	7. don't be so scared of the things you—

Three-thousand rupees in a sack felt heavy. True, you had held this much before, but it was always fleeting since they were never yours to claim even with all the effort put into peddling wares. You stared at Sidon apprehensively.

“Are you sure?” you said, perhaps for the twentieth time in the last two hours. You were still tired from going to sleep so late, and you were beginning to regret accepting his good gesture because of it. ‘ _This is a lot of money. Who would just hand over this much money?_ ’

Sidon shook his head, but he didn’t seem to be annoyed by your constant need for reassurance. “I already promised it to you, did I not? I never retract my word!”

He’d been repeating the same thing back at you every time you hedged back on the deal, and though you were aware he didn’t intend go back on his word, it was nice to hear anyway. Perhaps part of your desire for certainty stemmed from never having anyone be so generous to you before?

“I just - this is a lot of money,” you said. “Like, a lot.”

He just laughed.

* * *

 

As much as you tried to convince him not to be present for the it, Sidon had insisted on staying in your room. He had seen how vulnerable you were yesterday, and he decided he was needed.

“It would be rude to leave you fending off a man like that alone,” he had reasoned. Too tired to fight back, your usually flaming remarks were subdued to a sizzling look.

By the time there was a knock on your door, you had almost dozed off no less than three times (much to Sidon’s amusement, though he was faring little better than you). Smoothing out wrinkles on your tunic as you stumbled to the door, you had to take a moment to steel yourself for the ensuing confrontation.

Eugene was flanked by one of his guards, and you assumed it was the one who was supposed to escort you back into the working world. He looked unamused by your slightly ruffled state and you were keenly aware of the fact you looked terrible due to the extreme lack of sleep - and yet, when you considered it, you found yourself unable to care about what he thought.

“Eugene,” you greeted, stepping aside to let him and his lackey in. Eugene entered, but the brawny man behind him instead opted to stay outside. He would probably be listening in.

As he stepped into the room, you noted how Eugene’s eyes immediately landed on Sidon, who sat near one of the windows. It was hard to miss him, you supposed, what with being such a vibrant hue. Though you were reluctant to have him here for this, you were suddenly grateful his presence would help restrain Eugene’s usual biting words.

“Am I intruding?” Eugene asked, flicking his gaze back to you. There was an obvious statement in the way he looked at you, one you could read even if you were blind. Sidon, bless him, didn’t seem to notice - or care - and you were glad for this.

“Not at all,” you replied. Your voice, despite all effort, still tried its best to waver. A single day was not enough to undo a decade of torment, you supposed, and you knew that if you did not focus you were likely to break down over this later. You prayed Eugene would not notice any weakness in your demeanor. “Actually, I wanted to discuss something with you.”

He looked unamused but refrained from saying anything rude. You were relieved, and took this time to gather the sack sitting on the table in the center of the room. This was the moment you had been waiting for, and you felt a lightness within you that you were certain had been lost forever. With a glance at Sidon - and he nodded at you enthusiastically - you turned back around to face Eugene.

“I’m paying the rest of my debt off immediately,” you said, and you held out the sack to Eugene with as steady a hand as possible. “This is the rest of the money I owe you.”

The incredulity that spread across Eugene’s face was a sight you’d never witnessed before. It scared you a little when he suddenly barked out a laugh that made your stomach drop.

“Really?” he almost wheezed out, “And where did you obtain the rest of it?” But as his eyes once more landed on Sidon, you could almost hear the pieces clicking together in his head in the worst combination possible.

“Goddess above!” he continued, and he sounded so amused, so utterly tickled over what he’d conjured up in his head. The arm you used to hold the sack of rupees fell to your side, a sinking sensation continuing to well inside of you. “All these years and you _finally_ did it - and with a Zora no less!”

You really wanted to defend yourself, honest, but for all the bravado you had tried to put forward before you still felt like the freshly-widowed young woman from so many years ago. Eugene would always find a way to tear you back down without even trying. You should be used to it by now.

But this was different. Sidon was here now, and you could sense him move to stand beside you, arm brushing against yours. You wondered if he knew what Eugene was implying. You wondered why you cared.

“I should ask what you’re referring to,” Sidon said. If the tone of his voice was anything to go by - changed from the usually playful way he spoke - he probably knew.

“You think me an idiot?” Eugene laughed. “How else would a street urchin manage to worm anything of worth out of a stranger?”

You could feel a Sidon tense up beside you. He was probably going to try and come to your defense, but… you needed to stand up for yourself. You weren’t some damsel in distress, and Eugene held no power over you now besides his scathing words.

“I’ve never met a man as despicable as you,” you said. Your voice cracked a bit at the start, but you were proud of managing to get the words out. Once more, you held the sack out, not even bothering to hide the slight shaking in your arm. “I… I want you out of my life. You will take this money and you will go. I don’t want to hear from you ever again.”

Eugene scoffed. “You seem to have grown quite the spine.”

“You tore me down at my lowest!” you snapped, jostling the sack at him. “I’d not even a week to grieve before you set upon me like a hungry wolf! I’ve seen livestock with better morals than you!”

It was weird suddenly talking back to him so briskly, but it was cathartic. You were going to continue barreling forward to try and heap upon him even a fraction of the anger that had built up within you over the years, but Sidon placed a hand on your shoulder to halt your tirade. Staring up at him, you watched as he stepped forward.

“And what do you want?” Eugene eyed him.

“Oh! I do believe I’ve failed to introduce myself,” Sidon said, flashing a smile. It lacked the usual brightness you had come to associate with him, and the glint of his teeth looked dangerous. “I am Sidon, prince of the Zora.”

Eugene made a noise that reminded you of a dying octorok, and you wished to immortalize his stricken expression within your mind forever. Sidon took the sack from your hand and walked forward to hold it out to Eugene, who looked down at the bag as if it had offended him.

“I do believe this is they payment she offered you?” Sidon said. Eugene, speechless, took it. “I believe she also mentioned you wanted to deal business here in the domain…”

Eugene’s face was turning a very red color, bordering on purple, and whether it was due to anger or embarrassment you weren’t sure, but you cared little. His only response to Sidon was to nod.

“I’m afraid your behavior isn’t acceptable to us in the domain. Your business will not be welcome here.” Sidon evaluated the tiny, balding man before him for another moment. “I think that is all that needs to be taken care of here, yes?”

“I-you-!” Eugene switched between looking from you to the towering form of Sidon.

“ _Yes?_ ” Sidon repeated.

“Y-yes!”

“Then you may leave.”

Eugene had to gather the last of his dignity to storm out of the room, still red in the face from the scene. When he left and the door swung shut behind him, Sidon turned back to face you. You stared up at him, still trying to process how to react to what had just happened.

“I think I could’ve handled that?” you finally said, still a little dumbstruck.

“I have no doubt,” Sidon agreed, but then he grinned down at you. “But wasn’t that much more satisfying?”

Perhaps Sidon had planned this. Regardless, you finally knew how to react. You burst into laughter.

“I can’t believe you did that,” you wheezed.

* * *

 

“What will you do now?”

This unexpected question from Sidon caught you off guard. You tensed up, glancing over at him. The two of you were still holed up in your room - stepping out into public now seemed too much effort, and the both of you were exhausted - and he had broken the long silence with such an inquiry.

“Good question,” you said, mind racing to find some answer to it. You honestly didn’t know. With Eugene’s grimy fingers sunken into every corner of the land doing business, you could not imagine a life away from him or his employees anywhere. “I haven’t been to my old house in years. Maybe I could see if it’s still standing.”

The shack didn’t seem too appealing, and it had gone unused to your knowledge for nearly a decade. You remembered when Emil had moved in with you, not caring about how well-lived the building was from generations of use. The old wood had probably been beaten down over the years, and you didn’t want to tarnish your fonder memories of the place by seeing it in ruins.

“I don’t really know what to do,” you began again. “I’m tired of traveling. I want to settle down and make a home again.”

Wasn’t that your goal, long ago? A nice, quiet life with someone you loved, no need for anything extravagant, and when it was all over you could say, ‘it was a boring life, but I was happy.’

“What will you do if your home isn’t there?” It was funny of him to call it a home. You had not considered any place ‘home’ in years.

“I don’t know,” was your honest reply. Every goal you worked towards was gone now, and you hadn’t the faintest idea what to do with yourself.

“You could stay here,” Sidon said, almost offhandedly. When you turned to look at him, you noted how he was pointedly not looking in your direction. “If you wish to, that is!”

You continued to stare at him, confused. “I’ve been nothing but a burden since I came here. I’d feel terrible continuing to leech off your generosity.”

“I don’t consider you doing so at all.” This time he did look down at you, and the intensity of his yellow eyes made you want to look away.

A thought struck you, and though you were hesitant to, you put words to it, “Do… you want me to stay?”

You were fairly certain you caught color rising to his face as he turned his head away with enough speed to cause the tail to nearly flail into you. It would be comical in almost any other situation, but you felt like this conversation was going to veer somewhere that wasn’t lighthearted. It had been so, so long, but you could sense where this was drifting, and you were unsure if you were prepared for it.

“Tell me,” you said, though a part of you didn’t want to hear it. “Tell me in your own words. Do you want me to stay?”

For all the boisterous composure he usually seemed to have, Sidon seemed to be blundering around for an answer, taking longer than usual to reply. “I do. I want you to stay.”

You kept pushing for an answer. You needed to hear it from him, despite the nervous thundering of your heart trying to persuade you against it. Perhaps the lack of sleep was finally catching up to you, loosening your inhibitions. “Why?”

Sidon’s head turned just slightly, and he looked at you from the corner of his eyes. You could see the deep, quiet breath he took before he blurted out, “Ilikeyou!”

Despite the fact he had clumped it all together in a split second of words, you still caught it. Feeling glued to the spot, you weren’t sure how to respond. After pushing yourself to snap out of it, you finally said (ashamed of the hitch in your voice’s pitch), “Like?”

At this he turned to face you, and he looked like a nervous boy about to confess to his crush. But really, what else was this scenario?

“Very much so,” he said.

“I’m a Hylian,” was all you could manage, because even if you were to reciprocate, what would happen? “You’ll get left behind.”

Because that’s what death was: leaving others behind, and you would die long before he even started getting old.

“I’m okay with that.” He reached out and clasped your hands within his, and you stared down at them, bewildered by this. You could feel a deep ache within you. This wasn’t supposed to hurt, but the urge to start crying was telling you otherwise.

“We barely know each other,” you said, still staring at his hands, fully covering yours. “I don’t… I still love my husband.”

“I know,” he said. “You won’t move on from him. I understand! But I want to help make you happy.”

It felt like you were making excuses. You did like Sidon, truly, but like that? You weren’t able to tell how you felt around him. Barely a month ago you were just tolerating his presence, and now this? It felt like a whirlwind was wreaking havoc inside of your head.

“Why?” It was all you could manage at this point. “Why me?”

“I don’t know.” His answer was as blunt as he usually was. “I do, truly, care for you.”

Finally you turned your eyes back to meet his. You could see the truth burning in them, and yet you still didn’t know how to react to all of this.

“Love isn’t finite,” Sidon said, seeing your hesitation. “I understand if you don’t feel the same right now.”

“I like you,” you said. “I just don’t know what love is anymore, I think.”

You still remembered how you felt about Emil, but that was long ago. You were more mature now, and perhaps the love for him was a different feeling than whatever it was you felt for Sidon - but that did nothing to tell you exactly _what_ you felt for Sidon now.

“I don’t know how I feel,” you said.

Sidon leaned forward, bringing himself more level to your height, and pulled one hand away to gently settle a hand around your back. It felt not at all entrapping, and instead more comforting. You couldn’t tell if your heart was going crazy because of actual feelings for him or anxiety over the situation.

“It is fine,” he said. He bumped his crest lightly against your forehead. “I can wait for a definitive answer.”

He pulled away, lingering for a moment to glance down at your entwined hands, before he made for the door. He shot you his trademark brilliant smile, and you detected no hostility to it.

“I will see you tomorrow for a walk!” he declared.

You watched the door swing shut behind him, and the silence of the room engulfed you.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha I got caught up in KH3 thanks :') so sorry for this taking a bit to throw out but hey!! we're making plot progression!! very exciting! the title is taken from the song 'waves that rolled you under' because I'm still very unoriginal, thanks.
> 
> I made a [twitter](https://twitter.com/favoriteghostie) last month for general story updates/yelling but heck me if I don't use it that often.


	8. want to swim in your current

When your eyes opened in the dead of night, you were at first disgruntled because, above all else, you cherished your sleep the most. After trying to regain sweet slumber for what felt like hours, you finally gave up and rolled out of the bed. Though you were still tired, you had technically gotten plenty of sleep, having dozed off fitfully around sundown. The thought still didn’t lessen your irritation at your sleep being so erratic now.

Too restless to go back to sleep, you wanted to go out and walk the remaining energy off, but then you wondered if Sidon was out there and - if you were honest with yourself - you weren’t quite sure you were ready to talk to him yet. It was a wonder your dreams hadn’t been haunted by the conversation earlier. Still, being cooped up in the room was doing you no favors, so you reluctantly dragged your boots back on and covered yourself in your shawl to stay warm. Even as you took your first steps out of the room, you felt a slight sense of regret trying to tug you back inside. You soldiered forward, too stubborn to give up now that you had gone through the effort of putting your boots on.

The smart thing to do would have been to avoid going near the area Mipha’s statue was located but, with all honesty in your heart, the domain was not that big, and you were bound to loop around to it at some point. When you finally did, you were not too surprised to find Sidon once more stationed at the statue’s base, eyes locked upwards towards the unseeing gaze of the sculpture.

It felt like you were intruding on a private conversation. You were half-turned to walk away when he noticed you, and he called your name to catch your attention.

“Good… evening?” you said, folding your arms around yourself to stay warm. The night air was cool but not necessarily chilly, but it felt like the right thing to do. “I’m not really sure what time it is, actually.”

“Were you sleeping?” Sidon asked.

“Yes.”

He glanced up towards the sky, and you assumed he was figuring out how late it was.

“It’s late,” he said. “Well past midnight.”

You frowned. “Why are you awake?”

“I am a bit of a night owl,” he said, smiling, “but tonight I found it rather difficult to sleep. What about you? I’d have thought you would sleep until morning.”

“I fell asleep at dusk,” you confessed. “My eyes wouldn’t stay open.”

“At least one of us got a full night’s sleep,” he laughed a little, but you just frowned deeper up at him.

“You should try and sleep,” you said, concern itching at your tone. “It’s not good to go without.”

“I would if it were possible.” There was a certain raw edge to his voice, like a fresh cut, and it made you peer up towards him in worry.

“Well… I can stick around for a bit, if you’d like,” you offered. “Might help the time pass a bit easier?”

“I think that’s a splendid idea!” He did look very pleased by this, and you couldn’t help but smile back at him.

“So,” you began, gesturing toward Mipha’s statue, “do you talk to her often?”

“Almost nightly,” he said, not at all shamed about it. What reason did he have to be? “You must think it strange, hm?”

You shook your head. “No… not at all. I do it sometimes, too.”

His curiosity was easy to see. “I never would have guessed.”

“I’ve got a lot to me you don’t know about,” you said, smiling wryly to yourself.

The silence stretched for a moment, unusual thanks to Sidon’s ability to fill the lulls in conversation. When he did speak, the suddenness of it startled you a bit.

“I would like to know more about you.”

You breathed a sharp inhale, taking a moment to let the crisp night air fill your lungs. “That’s a very open statement. Where would I start?”

“Where you’re comfortable starting,” he said, as if it were the simplest answer in the world. You almost wanted to laugh about it.

“I don’t think I’m interesting enough to go on about myself,” you said, recalling a very similar situation with him just weeks ago. “And it feels weird thinking about it, you know? I don’t think I could just conjure something up on the spot to talk about.”

If anything, he seemed to perk up despite your hesitance, and he leaned forward a bit in his newfound eager state. “I didn’t hear a no, which means you’re willing to!”

“Wha-” your words were cut off before you had the chance to finish, as he continued.

“We should head somewhere more comfortable!” he said, suddenly quite cheerful. “If you would like, of course.”

Although you fully understood how he reached this conclusion, you were still left in the dust by the sudden switch in his demeanor.

 

* * *

 

Despite how inappropriate it was — and you were quite aware how above your station you were being — you found yourself in Sidon’s room. If you had thought your quarters were fancy, his were extravagant, with a large pool settled against the far edge of the room, opposite a bed nearly twice as big as the one you were using. It was a little overwhelming, and you found yourself standing awkwardly beside the door.

“I don’t know how you convinced me to come here,” you said, yanking your shawl tight around yourself with more force than necessary.

“I am rather persuasive,” he said, no trace of shame in his voice. “I did say we needed a more comfortable space!”

“And why your room?”

“It’s bigger.” The logic was so simple that you couldn’t even bother to argue against it. “Please! You should make yourself at home.”

You eyed one of the cushioned seats lined up on a wall and decided to settle there. Despite the softness of the cushion, you were still rather rigid. “Happy now?”

Sidon shot you a dazzling grin as he settled beside you. “Quite!”

“Good,” was your flat answer.

“You should relax,” he said. “I don’t bite!”

You stared at him, gaze shifting from his eyes down to his mouth. “Uh, I’m pretty sure you _do_ bite.”

He started laughing.

“I would never bite _you_ ,” he clarified. “Very much off the table, my friend.”

“I probably don’t taste good anyway.” He laughed even harder, and you couldn’t help but join in, starting to relax.

“You’ve quite the sense of humor,” he said, grin still lighting up his face. You returned the gesture.

“My father did used to say I inherited his mother’s wit.”

“Really? She must have been an amazing woman.” He leaned in closer, eager to hear any stories of your family.

You shrugged, folding your shawl tighter around yourself. “My father told me quite a bit of her… she was quite a fierce woman. She lost one of her arms in an accident, but my father said, ‘she still baked good as ever, and faster than three women put together!’ I always looked up to her, so I think I took her up as someone I could look up to and strive to be like.”

Glancing back at him, you caught him paying rapt attention to you, a look in his eyes that piqued at something familiar in your mind.

“… Sidon?” your said, voice quiet.

“I think you’ve done a good job.” His voice was also soft. “I have a question.”

You hesitated, caught up in his eyes. “What?”

“May I kiss you?”

Dumbstruck, your brain locked up, trying very hard to process his words. They bounced around in your brain for an age or two (so it felt like), and before you could even register what was happening, you mouth decided to answer by its own will.

“Yes.”

He leaned in, one hand reaching to lightly rest against the back of your head as if to pull you close (you were already leaning in without even realizing), and your eyes slid closed as you craned up to meet his lips. Whatever you were expecting it to feel like, you were met with a warm softness similar to kissing any other Hylian. The pressure of his lips against your had no timidness to it, the sensation portraying a sense of familiarity that had you aching.

It was full of force, but it was chaste, and when you pulled away you bowed your head down, letting your thoughts catch up to the situation.

“Is this okay?” you said, still not raising your head. Your eyes focused intently on the hand you had stretched forward to lean upon, a visual distraction to what had just happened.

Sidon did not answer immediately, as if to consider your question. Instead of a proper reply, he fired back with an inquiry of his own, “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“I’m a Hylian,” you said, echoing the conversation earlier. Your hesitated. “What joy could you possibly have with someone like me?”

“I wouldn’t know until experiencing it,” he said, “though I think there would be much of it.”

“But—”

“Stay the night,” he said.

“I won’t be here forever,” you countered, looking up to finally meet his eyes. He only nodded.

“All the more reason to stay.”

Your breath stalled in your throat, and you could feel your heart threatening to burst from your ribcage. You didn’t want to go.

“I don’t want to be the one breaking someone’s heart,” you said, and there was a plea in your voice.

His hand, having drifted towards your back, rubbed a soothing motion against it, and he moved to shift closer to you. “You worry too much.”

“I know,” you breathed, and you leaned forward into him, allowing both of his arms to encircle you.

“You’ll stay?”

“Yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> do Zora even smooch? the real question is always hanging in my head, but let's just pretend they do smooch. probably without tongues. that would hurt.
> 
> title shamelessly stolen from a lisa hannigan song.


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